“Director Jesse Zook Mann and producer Evan Kleinman are working on a documentary called Punk Jews. They released a five-minute trailer last month. They hope to finish filming next year and release a full-length documentary in 2010 or 2011. ‘I want to turn people on to the idea that people can be creative inside of their heritage and can create what their religion means to them and that freedom and honoring your heritage are not mutually exclusive.’”

Check out the Punk Jews website here.

Punk Jews from Jesse Zook Mann on Vimeo.

I’m very proud to announce that our documentary on the World Beard and Mustache Championships, Splitting Hairs, has been accepted into the Silverdocs festival in Washington DC. The screening will include a beard and mustache contest for the ages and will be held on 10:30 PM on Thursday, June 18th. Check out the films page on the festival site to read an interview!

My First Time makes its national debut tomorrow on NBC for our special following three young people to the inauguration in DC. The show will air Saturday night at 7:30 pm and after SNL at 1 am, but double check your local listings. Cities broadcasting the show are New York, Los Angles, San Francisco, DC, Chicago, Philadelphia, Hartford, San Diego, and Dallas.

Barack Obama’s inauguration undoubtedly left many Americans with stories they’ll never forget — these are three of them. Watch a preview of My First Time: 2009 Obama Inauguration.

Thanks for watching everyone! I hope you enjoy!

I am happy to announce that our new show My First Time: The Tribeca Film Festival will be airing on WNBC TONIGHT (Saturday) at 7pm and again at 1am after SNL. We follow 3 first time filmmakers to the Tribeca Film Festival who are looking to break into the film business with their hearts on their sleeves.

Our Characters Are:

Justin Meeks from Austin Texas who shot his movie The WIldman of the Navidad for next to nothing stealing workers from his dads steel company to work on his film. He’s out to break into the movie business with his homage to 70’s horror flicks.

Lolis Elie from New Orleans Louisiana who has a movie called Faubourg Treme about how the civil rights movement started in the 6th ward 100 years before Martin Luther King. Lolis is working to get the message to NY that New Orleans is irreplaceable and important… and is in dire need of help.

Nina Paley – Who created a feature length animation over 5 years in her 350 square foot Hells Kitchen apartment. Her film Sita Sings the Blues is about an ancient indian epic, and her own story about being dumped by her ex-husband over email. She’s out to get her film out to her home town of NYC and to see what the box office gods have to say about her movie.

Its an honor to be able to tell a story about real people who make media that matter in a time slot that can use it! Thank you so much to everyone on the team who made show possible in a ridiculously short 3 weeks. You are f’ing rock stars. I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks. I hope you enjoy it!